


A Hand to Hold

by Captain_Lilja



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Child Stormtroopers, Declarations Of Love, Established Relationship, Finn Needs A Hug (Star Wars), Force-Sensitive Finn (Star Wars), Happy Ending, M/M, Mostly Fluff, Poe Dameron Needs A Hug, Poe and Finn are good with kids, Sharing a Bed, Soft Boys, Some feelings and emotions along the way, The First Order Sucks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-14 23:28:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28678926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captain_Lilja/pseuds/Captain_Lilja
Summary: Three months after Exegol, Poe and Finn are figuring out their relationship as their duties pull them in different directions. When Poe jumps at the opportunity to tag along on a mission to a former Stormtrooper training facility--hoping for some time alone--it ends up being more complicated as Finn faces his own past, bonds with a baby, and makes them both consider their future.
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Finn
Comments: 17
Kudos: 59





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> For some reason, all I've been wanting to write is these two being soft with kids. So this fic exists.
> 
> Title from the Doctor Who quote: "There’s a lot of things you need to get across this universe. Warp drive… wormhole refractors… You know the thing you need most of all? You need a hand to hold.”

Poe was exhausted. A bone-deep exhaustion that he hadn’t really experienced in years. He had, wrongly, assumed that it would get easier now that the war was over. If anything, he felt more tired and worn than when they’d been actively fighting.

It had been three months since the battle over Exegol. And while that had been the last major battle there were still plenty of skirmishes with remaining pockets of First Order troops throughout the galaxy. He had to give them credit that they certainly weren’t going down without a fight.

However, it wasn’t the occasional dogfight with TIE fighters or the surveillance runs to where there were rumors of star destroyers that had worn him so thin. It was the politics.

Poe knew from the moment he was given the title of general, from the moment he seemingly inherited Leia’s legacy as leader of the rebellion, that he was going to hate politics. He was far from the most diplomatic person in the universe--he liked solutions that involved jumping in an X-wing and blowing something up, after all--and there were so many people with so many questions all looking to him with the expectations of answers. 

He was trying, he really was. He’d spent three months spreading his time between leading his squadrons on clean up missions and talking to planetary governments to try and figure out what was happening next. The First Order was gone but so was the New Republic. The galaxy still hadn’t recovered from the loss of the Hosnian system and there were so many questions about how that void would be filled.

Poe didn’t have the faintest idea what the answer was. He nodded when he felt he was meant to, discussed tactics for ensuring the First Order was truly defeated, and attempted to smoothly defer questions about new galactic senates and political systems to people who seemed to know something about them. Some of his deflections were smoother than others and he could sense the frustrations many felt toward him. In many ways, it didn’t bother him. He wasn’t a politician or a diplomat. He was a pilot. A pilot that felt like he was trapped in a heavy freighter sinking fast into some foreign ocean.

So when Finn told him about his trip to a planet in the Outer Rim to check on the progress being made at a former stormtrooper training facility, Poe jumped at the chance to go with him. The primary reason being that it was Finn. They’d barely been planetside together for more than a few hours in the last two months and Poe missed him. They had just been starting to figure out their relationship when their duties had started pulling them all over the galaxy. A chance to be on a planet with Finn for a whole week sounded like heaven to Poe.

The other, very positive, reason for going with Finn: no politicians. He couldn’t wait.

But now, seated in the small shuttle, glazing blankly out the windows, Poe didn’t feel excitement or eagerness. He just felt tired. So tired, in fact, he didn’t realize he had company in the cockpit until a soft hand came to rest on his shoulder.

Poe jumped a little in surprise but relaxed immediately as he saw it was Finn.

“Hey, bud. You’re sneaky today.” He commented.

“Didn’t mean to be.” Finn stared at him a moment. “Sorry.”

“No worries.”

Poe tried to ignore the way Finn was frowning at him. Even since Poe had been told that Finn had some Force abilities (because of course he did, Finn was amazing), he occasionally got the sense that Finn was more aware of Poe’s emotions than Poe was.

“You look beat, Poe.” Finn stated. “When was the last time you got a decent night’s sleep?”

“Dunno. It’s mostly been catching a few hours here and there when I can. There always seems to be something happening. It’s been… exhausting.”

“How long until we’re at Prestica?”

Poe consulted the screens. “About six hours.”

“You should go sleep.” Finn nodded toward the back of the shuttle. “You look like you need it.”

“Will you join me?”

The younger man opened his mouth to reply but another voice responded quicker.

“I can pilot if you need me to.” Jannah offered. Poe hadn’t even noticed her come up to the cockpit and wondered how long she’d been there.

“See? No reason not to.” Poe grinned. 

Finn sighed a little but his smile was fond, genuine. “I’ll come and get you settled but I’m not staying.” At Poe’s pout, he gave the pilot a stern look. “I’m serious about you sleeping. You need it. I’m worried about you.”

At that statement, Poe also grew serious. They’d spent the entire time they’d known each other worrying about the other and that certainly wasn’t what he wanted Finn to do now.

“Okay.” Poe surrendered. He stood and motioned Jannah to take the pilot’s chair. “You win.”

“It wasn’t a debate, Poe.” Finn replied as they moved to the back of the small shuttle. “You’ve got to take care of yourself. You can’t help anyone if you’re not functioning properly.”

“You sound like BB-8. He says similar things with some regularity.”

“You could try listening.”

Poe snorted a laugh and turned to Finn. His hands went to the younger man’s hips and he pressed him back to the wall. He was under no illusion that he had a chance of moving Finn if he didn’t want to go so he saw it as a positive sign that Finn made no effort to resist. 

“Listening is not my best skill.” He stated.

“I’m aware.” Finn replied mildly, but there was a smirk underneath it.

“You know what else? It’s been two weeks since we saw each other.”

“It has.”

Poe leaned closer. “Two weeks since I got to kiss you last.”

“What are you waiting for then?” Finn tangled a hand into Poe’s hair and pulled him a little closer.

That was all the encouragement Poe needed to close the distance and kiss him softly. It took all his effort to keep the kiss light and sweet. He wanted so much more but he promised himself that they’d take this slowly, take the time to really enjoy it. The war was over, they didn’t have to rush. Poe did not consider himself a patient person, but this was the one time he was willing to hold back and make it really last.

Poe would have gone on kissing for even longer had there not been a little voice down at his ankles.

“Kiss, kiss! Kiss, kiss!” The voice gleefully announced.

Breaking away from Finn, Poe looked down at D-0, who was spinning in small circles beside them. “We don’t need the commentary, pal.”

Finn merely laughed. “Why don’t you go help Jannah?” He nodded the droid toward the cockpit. “I’ll be up there in a few minutes.”

D-0 sped off toward the cockpit, still happily chirping ‘kiss, kiss’ as it went.

Poe watched it go. He found the little droid very strange but he also knew it hadn’t been treated well by its former master and had been left abandoned. The fact that D-0 seemed to trust Finn and had chosen to stick with him was a good sign. He knew Finn would take good care of it. The only downside was that D-0 went where Finn did and Poe also wanted to be where Finn was. So that meant more time around the little droid. If nothing else, it made him appreciate BB-8 even more.

His droid was off with Rey at the moment, having declared he was bored with Poe’s missions. Poe couldn’t say he blamed BB-8 for feeling that way. This was meant to be a quiet week away from his responsibilities so he understood that the droid thought Rey’s travels would be more interesting. 

But with Finn still pressed close to him, lips just inches away, Poe could not think of anywhere else he wanted to be. Leaning back in, he licked his way into a slightly hungrier kiss and let his weight press a little more against Finn.

Finn replied just as eagerly, one hand still in Poe’s hair while the other rested on Poe’s chest, right over his heart. It was hard to judge how long they stayed like that before Finn broke away, gently pushing Poe back.

“The point is for you to get some sleep, Poe.”

“Why would I sleep when I can finally kiss you again after weeks apart?”

“Because you look like you’re going to collapse at any moment. And I’m not carrying you to the bed if you pass out here.”

“My hero.” Poe rolled his eyes.

That just made Finn laugh and press him back another step. “Come on, hotshot. Onto the bed.”

Poe went, not exactly willing. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy the pressure of Finn’s hands on him, pushing him backward. Hitting the edge of the small bunk with the back of his legs, Poe let himself drop to a sitting position.

Finn loomed over him, smiling fondly, before leaning down and pressing a kiss into Poe’s hair. “I’m really glad you decided to come along.”

“Me too. I missed you.”

“I missed you too. Now, get some rest and we can talk more about how we missed each other when we have some time to ourselves on Prestica.”

“I like the way you think, buddy.” Poe grinned as he flopped back onto the small bunk. It was barely wide enough to fit him and there certainly wasn’t room for a second person, no matter how much he wanted there to be. He tugged on Finn’s shirt, pulling the younger man down for another kiss.

He wanted to say something else, some smooth line, but now that his body was horizontal and there was something resembling a pillow under his head, all coherent thought was gone from his brain. He felt Finn’s soft lips on his and then nothing else as blissful sleep claimed him.

When Poe woke he had no sense of time or, for a few moments, where he was. Awareness and memory came back quickly as he opened his eyes to see the ceiling of the shuttle above him. He certainly felt better then before, a little more alert and definitely more rested. Figuring he still had some time he turned to his side, ready to let sleep take him again. However, he found himself nearly face-to-face with D-0.

If asked about the small yelp he gave, Poe would fiercely deny it. He’d certainly woken up to BB-8 at his side plenty of times, but he wasn’t prepared for the green ‘nose’ to practically be touching his.

“Awake?” D-0 tilted its head with the question.  
“Yeah. I’m awake.” Poe sat up, groaning a little at the ache in his back. He was getting too old to sleep on such hard surfaces. “What are you doing?”

“Waiting.”

“Waiting for me?”

D-0 continued to stare at him. “Waiting.” With that, the droid turned and scurried off toward the cockpit.

Deciding he was not going to be falling back asleep, Poe pushed up from the bunk and wandered over to the fresher with a yawn. He splashed some water on his face and took in his reflection for a moment. He certainly still looked tired, but at least he felt better than he looked.

Taking the time to shave and change into a slightly less wrinkled shirt, Poe gave his best attempt at looking like a general rather than just a tired pilot who’d spent too many days in his X-wing. When he entered the cockpit and saw Finn appraise him with a pleased nod, he definitely felt more awake.

“How far out are we?” He asked, taking the seat behind Jannah so he could see Finn better.

“About a half-hour.” Finn replied. 

“So, to be honest, I didn’t really read the briefing. Want to fill me in on some details before we land?”

That earned him an eye roll but Finn complied anyway.

“First Order forces were finally pushed off Prestica about six weeks ago. We thought it was just another outpost but the teams on-planet discovered it was a training facility. About 75 kids. Ranging from infant to about 12 years old.”

“Infant?” Poe echoed. 

“Yeah.” Finn nodded. “The First Order started them young.” He glanced toward Jannah and then back at Poe. “The officers at the facility attempted to purge records but some were recovered. A handful of children have already been taken back to their planets, hopefully to reunite them with their parents or family members. However there’s still about 60 kids with no records of where they came from.”

“So that’s where you come in?”

“Right. Lando is helping to build a genetic database. Any parent, or close family member, that lost a kid to the First Order can submit a profile. We’re going to also create profiles for all the kids. And hope that we find some matches.”

Poe nodded thoughtfully. “The goal is to make this large-scale, right? So any stormtrooper could potentially be linked back to their family?”

“If they want to submit a profile, yes.” Finn looked away from Poe for a moment, which made Poe frown. “The main goal is to get this program going for the youngest kids. They stand the best chance of reintegrating with their families. This is the first facility we’ve found but there have to be others.”

“Baby stormtroopers… kriff, I hate the thought of that. I hate thinking about what you both went through.”

“We got out.” Jannah stated. “We brought down the First Order so no more kids go through what we did. Now we can help these kids get back to the families. That’s good work in my mind.”

“It’s incredibly good work.” Poe nodded. “I’m glad I got to come along. This is the kind of work I’d much rather be doing than listening to arguments about who will have the right to tariff trade routes.”

“Someone’s got to make those decisions, Poe.”

“Preferably not me. For the galaxy’s sake, not me.”

Finn chuckled softly and reached back to pat Poe’s knee. “I won’t hold that against you.”

“Oh good.”

“Good! Good!” D-0 echoed from beside Finn’s seat. 

The rest of the flight to the planet passed quickly. Prestica wasn’t impressive from orbit--just a ball of browns floating in space--and Poe found it even less inspiring once they were on the ground.

They had set the shuttle down amongst the civilian ships that had come to take care of the facility and stepped out onto the small tarmac area. The air was mild, leaning toward warm but not quite there, and there was no breeze. Grass beyond the pavement was a dull brown color that, from what Poe could tell, was its normal shade. Even the trees in the distance were a muddy clump of foliage. He’d been on some unremarkable planets in his life but this one was working its way to the top of the list.

Not far from the ships was a series of low, grey buildings. They looked like boxes dropped onto the landscape and Poe could only assume they’d been built by the First Order--they had that practical but brutal-looking quality to them.

From the nearest building, a woman was approaching them. She looked human and older than Poe with dark hair neatly tied back at her nape. Her outfit of green pants and white top was simple but he could tell it was nicer than what he’d been used to seeing.

“Doctor Elowan.” Finn stepped forward to meet her first, offering out a hand.

“General Finn.” She shook his hand. “It is nice to finally meet you in person. Welcome to Prestica.” Her accent was proper, definitely Inner Rim.

“Thank you. We hope we can be of some help. This is Jannah, who I told you about.” Finn motioned to the woman, who bobbed her head in greeting. “And General Poe Dameron.”

“General.” Elowan turned toward Poe. “I didn’t know we’d have both Resistance generals visiting us. Quite the honor.”

Poe waved the comment off. “I just tagged along. Here to help.”

“We’ll take any extra hands we can. Let me show you around a little. We are getting near dinner time so I’m not sure how much we’ll be able to get done today.”

“We don’t want to disturb your routines.” Finn stated as they began walking toward the building. “I’m sure it hasn’t been easy.”

Elowan gave a small nod. “Fortunately, all the children were in good health when we arrived. That was the simple part. Most of the younger children have accepted us without much issue. The older the child, however, the more indoctrinated they were. It’s taken us some time to gain their trust and we’re not there with all of them yet. But we’re patient. We want to give them all the best chance of success.”

“Thank you for that.” Jannah remarked. 

“None of them asked for what happened to them. Healing from this war begins with every individual touched by it. Even if they are just a child.”

Poe found himself setting a hand on Finn’s arm without thinking about it. Whether it was to comfort Finn or himself, he wasn’t sure. He always found the thought of baby Finn being raised by cold First Order officers made his heart ache something fierce. He was glad when Finn leaned into his touch, a reminder he was there and alright.

Elowan led them inside to a long hallway. Poe had to smile at the bright splashes of paint and childish drawings on the walls. It certainly was an improvement over the sterile grey that he had seen in so many First Order facilities.

“We’re finding that art and play are the best things for the children.” Elowan explained. “Letting the children be children.”

“I like it.” Poe grinned. “You’ve got some little artists.”

“Yes, we do. We’re encouraging it. There’s been too many generations of soldiers. We could use more artists.”

“Can’t argue with you there.”

As Elowan showed them around classrooms and community rooms, every space redecorated brightly, Poe found himself mostly watching Finn. The younger man seemed impassive, just nodding along with Elowan’s explanations, but Poe wondered if this was harder than he anticipated. To see children given a second chance to be kids--something Finn would never get back.

The last stop on the tour was the mess hall, where dinner was happening. After the quiet of the hallways, the sudden din of voices was a welcomed relief to Poe. He saw the kids gathered at tables, talking and even laughing. There were adults scattered throughout, perhaps two dozen in all.

“Mostly doctors and therapists.” Elowan stated, clearly noticing his survey of the adults. “All volunteers that have come here to help. Many have bonded well with the children. We couldn’t do this without them.”

“It’s very impressive.” Finn replied. 

“Would you all like to join us for dinner? Start to get the children used to seeing you around?”

“Sure. That sounds good.”

Poe couldn’t help but watch the different reactions of the kids as they entered the hall and followed Elowan over to the food window. The younger ones seemed mostly curious--especially about D-0--while some of the older ones watched back with wary expressions. With a tray of food in hand, they settled at an emptier table where a man about Poe’s age was sitting with five kids who looked to be about eight years old.

“Micah, these are the Resistance officers I spoke of. General Finn, General Dameron, and Jannah.” Elowan explained to the man. “Micah here is one of our volunteers.”

“Welcome.” Micah gave them a nod. “We’re glad to have you.”

“Are you doctors?” The kid nearest to Poe, a boy with wild blonde curls and pale blue eyes asked, eyeing them seriously.

“No. Not doctors.” Poe shook his head.

“Oh. Okay.” The boy’s expression brightened and he returned to eagerly devouring his dinner.

“You’re really pretty.” The little girl next to Jannah stated.

Jannah looked a little startled for a moment. “Um, thank you. I like your hair.” 

The girl shook her dark pigtails back and forth. “Micah does them.” She dropped her voice like she was sharing a secret. “He’s not very good at it but he tries.”

“Thank you, Scarlet.” Micah laughed. “It’s better than when we first started.”

“Yes, it is.” The girl nodded. “They were bad.”

“She looked silly.” Another girl, this one a redhead with a splattering of freckles on her fair skin, added. 

Poe glanced between the kids, realizing that they all must have had the same, short haircut until fairly recently. There was now some variation between them, but none of the kids around them had anything close to ‘long’ hair. Even Scarlet’s pigtails were barely long enough to be held in their bands.

“I’m Ruby.” The redhead stated. “That’s my nickname.”

“Nickname?” Finn repeated.

“We all have nicknames.” A darker skinned boy replied. “They say we’ll get our real names when we’re back with our families. So now we just have nicknames. I’m Forest.”

“Forest, Ruby, Scarlet…” Poe looked between each child and then to the final two--the blonde boy and a brown-haired girl. 

“That’s Hazel.” The boy pointed to the girl partially hiding behind Micah. “She’s shy. I’m Cobalt.”

Micah held up a hand in defense as Poe glanced at him. “They picked them. The color theme was their idea.”

“I like them. They’re good nicknames.” Poe smiled at the kids. 

“Are you here to help find our parents?” Cobalt asked.

“We’re going to try our best.” Jannah assured. “It might be a little while, though, before we can find them.”

Ruby shrugged, shoving a large forkful of pasta in her mouth. “I like it here fine.”

“Ruby…” Micah chided gently. “Manners please. We have guests.”

The girl looked between the adults, shrugged again, and returned her full attention to her dinner. 

Poe couldn’t help a soft laugh. There was something reassuring about an attitude that the First Order clearly couldn’t destroy. 

The rest of dinner was enjoyable, chatting a little with the kids--those that did talk at least, Hazel was silent. There was a moment of worry when a little boy who couldn’t have been more than three came over with attention fully on D-0. Poe was ready to move, remembering how the droid had acted toward contact, but was surprised to see D-0 roll closer as well and nudge into the chubby hand. The delighted giggle from the child was answered by a series of chirps from the droid.

Poe looked to Finn, who relaxed visibly as well, and they shared a short smile. It was a start at least, hope that healing was possible for everyone.

Finished eating, they bid the kids good night and followed Elowan once more.

“Would you like me to show you to your rooms?” She asked as they returned their trays and headed from the mess hall. “We can start on everything in the morning.”

“That would be great. Thanks.” Finn replied.

“I’ll need to find you a place to stay, General Dameron. We weren’t expecting you so we only cleared two rooms. We’re tight on space so it might take me a few minutes to find a solution.”

Poe glanced at Finn, who immediately nodded. “I can stay with General Finn. We’re used to close quarters. No need for you to do more work.”

Elowan glanced between them. “If you’re alright with that, it would make things simpler.”

“Not a problem at all.” Finn assured. “We’ll be fine.”

She led them down a side hallway and paused in front of a door. “This will be you, then. Jannah, that is yours.” She pointed to the door straight across the hallway. “If you need anything, please let us know.”

“Thank you.” Jannah crossed over to her door.

“Good night.” Elowan nodded to them and then continued down the hall.

“D-0, why don’t you come with me? Give the generals some space?” Jannah motioned to the droid. 

D-0 rolled over to her, and then looked back to Finn and Poe. “Kiss, kiss?”

“Yeah.” She laughed. “Kiss, kiss. Goodnight, generals.” 

Before Poe or Finn could reply, Jannah had vanished into her room, D-0 on her heels. Grinning, Poe opened their door and pulled Finn in after him.

The room was small and simple. There was a small bed in the corner, a free-standing wardrobe, and a doorway that led to a tiny refresher. Poe hardly cared that it was little and formerly First Order--it was a room with Finn.

“You and a room for an entire week.” Poe was already crowding Finn toward the bed. “Coming along was a very good decision.”

“One of your better recent decisions.” Finn agreed. He let himself be pushed down onto the bed, kicking away his boots before settling properly into the center of the tiny space. “You’ve been too far away.”

Poe toed off his boots and climbed eagerly over Finn to lean down and kiss him softly. “Still too far away.”

Finn laughed, pulling Poe down to press their chests together. Poe tucked his face into Finn’s neck, breathing in the warmth and scent of the other man. He felt content, grounded with Finn’s arm around him. Closing his eyes for a moment to take it all in, he didn’t expect his exhaustion to suddenly return. Despite his best efforts, sleep overtook him once more.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn meets a special baby. Feelings follow.

Poe woke to his name and a gentle shake of his shoulder. He groaned a little, trying to bury his face into the pillow, before the voice finally registered. “Finn?”

“Expecting someone else?” Finn laughed. “You are out of it in the morning, aren’t you?”

“I need caf.”

“You’ll have to get up to get it. It’s breakfast time. Jannah already went down to the mess hall. You going to get up or do you want to go back to sleep? It’s okay if you still need to rest.”

Poe shifted so he could see Finn. The younger man was seated on the edge of the small bed, hand still on Poe’s shoulder, dressed and ready to go. “I didn’t hear you get up.”

“You slept through everything. I had some pretty smooth lines last night and then realized you’d already fallen asleep.” Finn’s tone was teasing but his expression was serious. “Are you feeling better?”

“Immensely.” Poe sat up and nuzzled against Finn’s shoulder. “Sorry about last night. It just all seemed to catch up with me at once. But I’m good now. All yours, awake, tonight. I promise.”

“I’ll look forward to it. In the meantime, you going to come get breakfast with me?”

“Yeah. Just give me a minute to get ready.”

Pushing himself past Finn and out of bed, Poe stumbled over to the small refresher. He returned shortly, a little more put together, and awake enough to depart the room.

Finn led them, unerringly, to the mess hall, which was bustling with kids and adults. The chaos level somehow seemed higher than dinner the night before--probably because the kids were awake and ready to go while the adults weren’t quite at the same level yet. Both men retrieved a tray of food and a mug of caf and set out for a place to sit. The table Jannah was at was full so they ended up nearby with a pack of littler kids, mostly in the three to four year old range, and their two adults.

Poe found the younger kids delightful with their limited vocabulary and sometimes odd questions. The kids seemed eager to have new people there and showed no signs of shyness. The adults, Willa and Detra, mostly seemed glad to not be the only source of answers for the unending stream of questions.

At one point, Poe looked over to watch Finn. The young man’s expression was soft but serious as he listened to a little girl chatter about a pink cloud and rainbow bird dream she had. Finn was nodding along, giving all the right prompts and little noises at the twists in the story. It was one of the most charming things Poe had ever witnessed and it only made him love Finn even more (not that he’d use that word out loud, not yet at least). 

“Then the bird went down and up!” The girl stated, throwing her hands in the air in emphasis.

“No!” Finn gave a gasp. “Then what?”

“Dunno. I woke up.”

“Oh no. How do you think the story should end?”

The girl considered it, very seriously, for several moments. “The fox eats the birds.”

“Oh.” Finn frowned. “Okay. Dark turn. Didn’t see that coming.”

Poe had to laugh, both at the uncomfortable look on Finn’s face and how proud the girl was at her answer. 

“Foxes like to eat birds.” The girl stated, as if Finn needed clarification.

“I’m sure they do.” Finn replied with a nod. “I don’t think the birds like that very much.”

“Nope.”

Poe was distracted from the conversation, as entertaining as it was, as the boy next to him suddenly tucked under his arm and plastered himself to Poe’s side. He looked from the boy to Detra and Willa.

“Nicky.” Detra chided lightly. “We’ve talked about this.”

Nicky made a grumble but did not detach.

“Sorry.” Willa rolled her eyes a little. “We’re still working on asking for permission. These little ones especially seem to cling to physical contact. Nicky is particularly tactile.”

“It’s okay.” Poe assured, brushing his fingers lightly over the boy’s short brown hair. “I don’t mind. I just wasn’t expecting it.”

“Some things are just innate, no matter how hard someone might try to discourage them. Contact is a human desire, I think.” Detra commented. “Stop paying attention for a minute and you’ll most likely have a kid on your lap or holding your hand. It was that way almost from the start. As soon as they saw we weren't going to punish them for wanting a hug or being close to one of us, pretty much all the kids became our shadows. Hard to say no to them.”

“Impossible, I expect.”

Both women merely made hums of agreement.

Catching Finn’s eyes, Poe gave him a soft smile. He knew Finn wasn’t that different. A little more restrained, but Poe knew the younger man liked being touched, being held and kissed. There was a craving for connection and touch that seemed to have grown in the years he wasn’t permitted to do those things.

Finn returned his smile and then shifted his attention back to the girl at his side as she tugged on his sleeve.

“Have you ever met a fox?” She asked, expression completely sincere.

Poe couldn’t help a snicker, which earned him a light kick from Finn.

“I saw ice foxes once. But I wouldn’t say that I met them.” Finn replied.

“Ice foxes? Were they pretty?”

“Very.”

“Wow.” The girl’s eyes were wide, voice awed. Several other kids close by looked just as enthralled.

“Were they nice?” A little boy asked.

“Yeah.” Finn nodded after a moment of thought. “They helped save us. Poe and I and some of our friends were stuck in a cave and they showed us the way out.”

This seemed to thoroughly impress the kids.

“Is snow real?” One of the girls asked.

“Yes. There are a lot of planets with lots of snow.”

She nodded with satisfaction. “Thought so.”

Poe felt torn between fond and a little sad. He felt sorry for these kids--all the lies they surely had been told by the First Order and how likely they’d been mistreated--but he also enjoyed seeing them discover their galaxy and that there was so much good to be had. He was distracted from his thoughts as he spotted Doctor Elowan making her way toward them.

“Generals.” Elowan greeted as she approached the table. “I hope you slept well. Are you ready to get started today?”

“Absolutely.” Finn nodded.

“We’ll head to the medical bay then. I’ll go retrieve Ms. Jannah while you finish up.”

“Sounds like we need to go, kiddo.” Poe commented to the boy still attached to him. 

The boy nodded but didn’t move.

“Nicky.” Willa laughed, motioning to him. “Come over here. Mr. Poe has important things to do. He can’t be a leaning post all day.”

“I would if I could.” Poe replied, watching as the boy disappeared under the table and then reappeared between Willa and Detra, squirming in between the adults. “It was nice to meet you all. I hope we’ll see you later.”

“Bye bye.” The girl next to Finn waved as the men stood and collected their trays.

“Bye.” Finn returned the wave, smiling fondly.

They deposited their trays and then joined Elowan and Jannah near the door. D-0 circled around their feet excitedly as the group set off down the hallway. It wasn’t a far walk to reach the small medical bay of the facility.

There were a couple people scattered throughout the space, all of who looked over with interest as the group entered.

“Here is the station.” Elowan led them over to a computer panel. “This should have all the specifications that you sent us.”

Jannah sat and began studying the screens. “Looks good.”

“This is Meria. She’s been the one setting things up for you.” Elowan introduced a dark haired woman who had come over to join them.

“I look forward to working with you.” Meria nodded toward them. “Getting these kids back to their families.”

“This is all looking great so far.” Jannah replied. “Now the hardest part: getting the samples loaded and the network connected.”

“What’s the next step?” Finn asked.

“Making sure we have network connections. No good to have samples if there’s nothing to do with them.”

Poe glanced over as suddenly there was crying coming from nearby. As far as he could tell (his experience with young children was limited), the source was very young. His guess was proved correct shortly after as a nurse went over and picked up a small child from a crib.

“That’s Eden.” Elowan explained. “Our youngest. He’s about seven months.”

“And very needy.” Meria sighed. “Demands to be held almost all the time. Cute baby but a lot of work.”

Poe watched the nurse try to soothe the crying child for a moment before turning his attention back to the computer. However, he caught Finn’s expression. Finn was gazing at the baby with a slight frown, something verging on intense in his eyes.

Seemingly unaware of Poe or the others, Finn wandered over to the nurse, never taking his eyes off Eden. “May I hold him?” He offered out his hands.

The nurse raised an eyebrow but handed the child over without comment. Eden’s cries faded as he looked up at Finn with tears still falling down his cheeks. After a moment, he went silent and flopped himself against Finn’s chest.

Poe couldn’t tell who was most surprised by it all--himself or the medical staff. He watched as Finn returned to where he’d been standing, cradling the child carefully. 

Eden was lovely. Dark wisps of hair on his head, skin just a shade or two lighter than Finn’s, and big dark eyes. He was chewing on his own fingers, drooling a little on Finn’s shirt, and gave a little coo as Finn’s big hand gently rubbed over his back.

“Well.” Elowan chuckled a little. “You’ve made a friend, General. None of us have been so quick to get him to stop crying. I’m impressed.”

Finn shrugged a little. “I didn’t do anything special.”

Poe knew that was because Finn was special. He didn’t need to do anything but be himself. He smiled fondly as he watched Eden snuggle himself further into Finn’s shirt. It was adorable and all Poe wanted to do was hug Finn tight, but he knew this was hardly the appropriate place for that. Instead, he stepped a little closer, his arm pressed to Finn’s.

The younger man looked over at him and smiled, his hand continuing to rub the baby’s back.

Realizing he hadn’t been paying attention to what they were supposed to be doing, Poe turned back toward the computer station and Jannah. She was still working, seeming to ignore them.

“What can I do to help?” Poe offered.

Jannah motioned him to the seat beside her. “We need to link up with Lando’s database. I’ll walk you through it.”

He merely nodded and let her take the lead.

They worked for a while with Meria, helping to integrate into the systems the doctors had set up upon taking over the facility. It was finicky work, bypassing First Order protocols and making sense of Lando’s systems. 

Finn mainly hovered behind Poe’s chair, Eden still in his arms. The baby cooed happily most of the morning, seemingly entertained by Finn’s fingers and everything going on around the med bay. 

However, as it drew towards afternoon, Eden’s sounds began to grow unhappy and he started to fuss, squirming unhappily in Finn’s arms.

“This is probably a good stopping point.” Meria commented as they finished one of the needed connections to Lando’s network. “It’s lunchtime and Eden should go down for a nap. He’s clearly ready for one.”

As if to agree, the boy babbled something and pointed at the nurse as she approached. 

“See you later, bud.” Finn stated to the child as he handed Eden back to a nurse. 

The boy immediately began to cry, which made Finn hesitate. He watched the nurse take the baby back to his crib, attempting to soothe the crying to little success.

“Come on, Finn.” Poe gently tugged on his sleeve. “Eden needs his nap. We need lunch.”

“Right.” Finn nodded, finally dragging his attention away from the baby. “Food sounds good.”

The rest of the afternoon went quickly, helping get the network up and running and setting up all the files needed to get all the children into the system. It wasn’t hard work and Poe felt a little extraneous but he was glad to help wherever he could. 

Finn seemed distracted as well, holding onto Eden any chance he had. The baby was quiet and content in Finn’s arms, cooing here and there and playing with buttons on Finn’s jacket. Any opportunity Finn had to help with the child, he took--wandering off with the nurse whenever Eden needed to be fed or changed.

When the day came to an end, Poe could see that Finn was disappointed to leave Eden behind. The younger man was quieter during dinner, which wasn’t really noticeable to the others, given how chatty the kids they were sitting with were, but it did have Poe a little worried.

Finn continued his silence all the way back to their room and then merely nodded when Poe announced his intention to shower. Normally, Poe would have made a joke, or a suggestion, but he didn’t think it would have gotten the result he wanted. So, with a frown, he retreated into the fresher and tried to clear his mind.

Shower finished and feeling a little better, Poe returned to the room and paused to look at Finn. The younger man was sitting on the bed, leaning against the wall, expression suggesting that his thoughts were lightyears away. It broke Poe’s heart to see any kind of sadness on Finn’s lovely face--he just wanted to do whatever it took to make it go away and he wasn’t sure the solution in this case.

Finn seemed to notice the stare, as he usually did, and gave Poe a small smile. “You just gonna stand there?”

“Just admiring.” Poe replied as he crossed over and climbed in beside the other man. “You looked very thoughtful.”

“Yeah. Guess so. It’s… harder than I thought it was going to be.”

“How so?”

“I don’t know how to explain it.” Finn sighed. “I just thought this would be an easy few days. You know, get the database running, spend some time with you… I didn’t think it would get to me.”

“Nothing wrong with that.” Poe shifted closer, gently guiding Finn to lean on his shoulder as he tangled their hands together. “Don’t dismiss what you went through, Finn. You got out, but what the First Order did left scars. Because you survived, because you were stronger than the First Order conditioning, you can be here now to help these kids. It’s okay to be a little attached or whatever else you might be feeling.”

“I’m really glad you’re here. I don’t know if I could do this alone.”

“I’m glad I’m here too. These kids deserve a new start. They’re good kids. It’s good to be helping someone rather than sitting around listening to people argue.”

Finn gave a hum of agreement, snuggling into Poe’s side and shoulder. Poe pressed a kiss to his hair and held his hand firmly.

“I’m guessing from your comment in the shuttle yesterday that you’re not submitting your own profile to the database?” Poe asked gently.

“No.” Finn replied simply.

“Want to talk about it? You don’t have to but I’m happy to listen if you want to.”

“The chances of my parents being alive seem small and I don’t know what I would do if I did find them. I’m still figuring out who I am. Who Finn is. I don’t know how to be someone’s son. And, in the end, I don’t feel like I would be their child. Whoever I was when the First Order took me is not who I am now. My parents are never going to get that child back. Does that sound awful?”

“No. That sounds very reasonable. You do what’s right for you.” Poe pulled him closer. “Just let me know if I can help? You don’t have to do this alone. Alright?”

“Yeah. Thanks, Poe.” Finn sighed tiredly.

“Ready to get some sleep? I’m sure it’ll be another busy day in the morning.”

“You sure? I figured you’d be restless after crashing on me last night.”

“I’m just happy to be here with you. To hold you close. Okay? No pressure for anything more. We have time.”

“Alright. Thanks.”

Poe kissed his hair before gently pulling away. “Settle in. I’ll get the lights.” He stood and made his way over to the light control to plunge the room into darkness. Retracing his steps, he climbed under the covers and up against Finn. Wrapping his arms around the younger man, he held him tight. “Good night, Finn.”

“Good night, Poe.”

Listening to Finn’s steady breathing and feeling his warm, comforting presence, Poe drifted off into a peaceful sleep. 

When Poe woke, he found himself alone in the bed. Alone in the room when he sat up and blearily looked around. There was no sign of Finn and without windows, he couldn’t really tell what time of day it was. However, he sensed it was still night and that he hadn’t been asleep that long. 

Yawning, he climbed from the bed, shoved his boots on, and wandered out into the hallway. It was quiet in the building, dark where there were windows. Having a feeling where Finn had gone, he chose to retrace the path to the medical bay. It too was quiet, but not empty.

He quickly spotted Finn asleep in a chair with Eden tucked to his chest. The baby looked to be sleeping peacefully, little hands grasping Finn's shirt. It was sweet and tender and made Poe’s heart ache slightly. He was ready to retreat, to return to their room, when he saw the overnight nurse was watching him from the office. Crossing over to her, he nodded back toward Finn.

“Is it okay he’s here?” Poe asked.

“Yeah. It’s actually the best Eden has slept. We’re usually lucky if he sleeps for an hour or two at a time during the night. Finn is the first person I’ve seen Eden connect with.”

“Finn is special.”

“So is Eden.” She gave a small smile. “Definitely not like any other baby I’ve worked with.”

“Huh…” Poe considered this, a few pieces coming together. “I don’t know if it would be allowed or if it would be helpful, but Eden could stay with Finn and I at night. In the room we have. Bring the crib in there. At least Finn would have a bed to sleep in and I can help with the changing and feeding. Give you guys a little break while we’re here.”

“You’re offering to watch a baby during the night? Do you not want to sleep?”

He chuckled. “Lives like ours, we’re used to a few hours at a time. I mostly just want to help if we can.”

“I’m okay with it but I’ll have to ask Doctor Elowan in the morning. If she says yes, we can set you up tomorrow night.”

“Sounds good. I guess I’ll leave them in your care for the night.”

The nurse smiled. “I’ll look after them.”

“Thanks.” Poe gave her a nod and headed from the medical bay. He returned to his room and flopped onto the bed, quickly falling back into a deep sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe's been in love with Finn for a long time. But now Finn with a baby? Poe's having a hard time handling it.
> 
> More fluff of Poe and Finn bonding with the kids.

Waking again to an empty bed, Poe sighed a little. He consulted the clock to see that it was nearly time for breakfast so he pushed himself from the mattress. A few minutes later, face washed and hair somewhat tamed, he ventured from the room and down to the mess hall.

Like before, it was loud with children’s voices. A few of the kids he’d met the prior days gave him a little wave and the adults nodded his way. He retrieved his breakfast and caf and then settled at the table with Micah and his kids.

“Good morning.” Poe greeted.

“Morning.” Micah gave a smile. “Just you today?”

“For the moment. I’m sure the others are around and busy.”

“Are you going to come play with us?” Forest asked from Micah’s side.

“I don’t know yet. Maybe?” Poe replied. “I need to see what I can do to help out Doctor Elowan and Finn first. If they don’t need my help, I’d love to come play.”

“You could come draw pictures with me.” Ruby suggested. 

“That sounds nice too.”

“Micah’s making us learn math.” Cobalt stated with a little scowl. “I don’t like math.”

Poe considered it. “It is important. I know that stuff is boring and hard sometimes but you need to know it.”

“Did you like learning math?” Scarlet asked.

“Not really, but it was important when I started flying. And for programming droids.”

“Where is your droid?” Forest looked under the table.

“D-0 is with Jannah. He’s a little shy so sometimes he doesn’t like being around a lot of people.” Poe explained.

“Just like Hazel.” 

Poe glanced at the silent little girl, who was watching him warily from behind Micah’s arm. He couldn’t help but wonder what the First Order might have done to her and that thought just made him angry. “Sometimes the world can be scary. You all have done a really good job being brave and strong.” He met Hazel’s eyes and smiled softly. “All of you.”

She considered him a moment before returning a tiny smile and ducking fully behind Micah.

Out of the corner of his eye, Poe saw Finn enter the mess hall with Eden still tucked against his shoulder. He gave a wave and watched Finn’s expression brighten. 

“I’ll be right back.” Poe told the table before he stood and hurried over to meet Finn near the food window. “Hi.”

“Hi.” Finn repeated. “Katryn said you stopped by the med bay last night…”

“We can talk about it later. Have you eaten yet?”

“No.”

“Here. I can hold him while you get food and caf.” Poe offered out his hands.

“Don’t take it personally if he doesn’t like it.” Finn stated before transferring the baby over.

“Hi, Eden.” Poe cooed at the baby, tickling a finger along his chin. “You are a cutie. Lucky for you. I don’t share Finn with just anyone.”

The baby stared at him a moment, brows furrowed in thought. He looked to Finn, who had collected his tray, and then back at Poe. With a whine, he reached toward Finn, squirming to get out of Poe’s arms.

“Whoa, easy, bud.” Poe scrambled to keep a hold of the wiggling child. “Can’t Finn have five minutes to eat something?”

Finn chuckled as they made their way back to the table. “Unlikely. He seems to cry every time I put him down.” 

“You’re okay. I’ve got you. See Finn’s right there. No need to cry.”

Ruby wrinkled her nose. “He cries at everything. Babies are noisy.”

“You’re not wrong.” Poe nodded, trying to bounce Eden lightly on his leg. “But that’s just how babies are. They can’t communicate any other way.”

“I think he’s cute.” Scarlet stated. “When he’s not crying.”

“He’ll learn to be strong too, but for now the world is big and scary. He just needs a little extra comfort. Nothing wrong with that.”

The girl considered it a moment. She leaned closer to Eden. “Don’t you worry. Mr. Poe and Mr. Finn are nice. They’re going to make things less scary for you.”

Poe smiled fondly, glancing to Finn, who seemed to consider the comment. After a moment, the younger man gave a thoughtful nod and patted Eden gently on the head before returning to his breakfast.

Eden’s cries quieted and he stared up at Poe with an intensity that only a small child could manage. With a series of babbles, he clambered further into Poe’s lap and grasped at the necklace around the pilot’s neck.

“Careful, bud.” Poe stated softly. He didn’t pull the chain away but watched the baby carefully. “You like that? See something shiny?”

“What is it?” Cobalt asked.

“My necklace. It has a very special ring on it.”

“Why’s it special?” Ruby peered over at it.

“It was my mom’s. She died when I was about your age so it’s very important to me.”

“It’s pretty.” The girl replied. “I see why he likes it.”

Poe gave her a small smile. Eden gave an agreeing coo and settled against Poe’s chest, the ring still held in his little fingers.

“Alright, kids. Time to get to lessons.” Micah announced. “Let’s move out.”

“I’ll try to come by later. I look forward to drawing with you.” Poe commented, giving the kids a wave as they stood and collected their trays.

“I’m going to draw a cat.” Ruby stated.

“Sounds like a good plan.”

Finn watched the kids file off after Micah. “I’m really surprised by them. They seem so…”

“Normal?” Poe offered.

“Yeah. Not that I want them to be traumatized or anything. I just don’t know how I would have reacted at that age to all this.”

“Maybe not something to think too much about.”

Finn gave a little nod. “Probably.”

Poe reached over and squeezed his hand gently. “You’re here. You’re safe. These kids are safe. Thanks to you. You helped bring down the First Order and now we get the chance to make the future better for them.”

The younger man watched Eden with a small smile. “He likes your necklace.”

“A shiny distraction. I’m sure he’d rather be over with you but if he’s calm for the moment, I’ll take it.”

“Katryn said last night was the best he’s slept since they got here.”

“He had you.”

“I can’t explain it.” Finn sighed. “Just something about him.”

“Is he Force-sensitive?” Poe asked, voicing his theory.

“Maybe? I don’t really know. That could be why I felt drawn to him.”

“And why he’s so clingy to you. Maybe he can sense it. That you’re both special.”

“It’s possible. I don’t understand things well enough to know. Maybe Rey would but I don’t.”

“I’m not sure anyone really knows anymore. You’re just going to have to figure it out as you go along. Just like the rest of us.”

Finn chuckled a little. “Doesn’t sound so bad.”

“Most of us manage just fine.” Poe shrugged.

“Were you serious with your offer that Eden stays with us at night?”

“Of course. I thought it was a good suggestion. Is it?”

“Yeah. I mean, we’re going to be woken up a lot. It’s not exactly the quiet, alone time you signed up for.”

“It makes you happy.” Poe replied. “That’s what matters.”

Finn gave him a soft, fond look. He started to say something but was interrupted by D-0 zooming over to the table and circling around their legs.

“Work to do!” The droid announced. “Work to do!”

“Did Jannah send you?” Finn asked dryly, looking down at the droid.

“Yes.”

Poe chuckled. “We should probably go then. She’s probably wondering why she bothered to bring either of us along.”

“Probably.” Finn agreed with a laugh. “I’ll get your tray if you’ve got Eden.”

At the sound of his name, the boy abandoned Poe’s necklace and reached for Finn, making grabbing motions with his fingers as he babbled insistently.

“You take the baby. I’ll get our stuff.” Poe passed the boy over as they stood.

“Baby.” D-0 stated as he hovered at Finn’s ankle. “Small humanoid. Offspring.”

Finn gave the droid a look as he tucked Eden to his shoulder. “Working on your vocabulary, pal?”

“Learning. Many small humans here. Many words. Very confusing.”

“People often are.”

Poe placed their trays where they needed to go and then rejoined Finn at the door. He tapped Eden on the nose and got a giggle in reply. 

They made their way through the halls into the med bay, where Jannah and Meria were already at work at the computer station. Both women gave them a nod of greeting, but kept on with what they were doing. 

Poe watched over their shoulders while Finn wandered off to speak with the nurse on-duty in the office. He stood there for several minutes, zoning out just a little, before Jannah turned and looked up at him.

“Give us a hand with something?” She asked.

“Of course. What do you need me to do?”

Motioning to the computer, Jannah sighed a little. “Make some sense out of Lando’s programming decisions.”

“Sounds fun.”

Despite Jannah’s complaints, Poe found sorting through the computer commands and network systems to be fairly straightforward. Yes, Lando’s methods were somewhat outdated and a little over the top, but they made sense once the patterns were learned. After an hour or so of working, Poe was left sitting there once more, merely listening to Jannah and Meria chat.

The two women seemed to be getting on well and were swapping stories, paying no attention to Poe whatsoever. He didn’t mind, but he also wasn’t the kind of person to sit still when there was nothing to occupy him.

“Need me to do anything else right now?” He asked, tapping Jannah lightly on the shoulder.

“Don’t think so. Thanks.” She replied with a shake of her head. 

Leaving the women to their work, Poe wandered over to where Finn was seated, reading something on a datapad to Eden. The baby seemed more interested in chewing on Finn’s finger than the story, but it was a sweet scene nonetheless.

“Hey.” Finn gave him a smile. “How’s it going?”

“Good, I think. Jannah and Meria have it all under control. I’m going to go see what some of the kids are doing. Since I don’t seem very helpful here.”

Finn nodded understandingly. “Sounds good. I’ll come find you in a little while.”

With a touch to Finn’s shoulder, Poe headed out of the med bay and down the hall. He took his time wandering through, pausing at a few doorways to watch the lessons in progress. It all felt rather normal watching a group of kids learning about galactic history despite the fact that they were unwitting a part of the latest chapter.

Making his way outside, he saw groups of children scattered throughout the grounds. A few groups looked to be playing games while others were gathered in circles around an adult, either reading or teaching them something. The very fact that he heard laughter made him smile.

He ventured closer to a group of kids who looked to be perhaps nine or ten. Most were playing with a ball, kicking it around and chasing each other with squeals and shrieks. A couple kids sat nearby, just watching everything with crossed arms. Their adult was a tall blonde woman who greeted Poe with a smile as he approached.

“Hello. I’m Cayden.” She offered out a hand.

“Poe.” He shook her hand. “What are we playing?”

She shrugged a little. “They’re making it up as they go along, I think. I’ve lost track of what the purpose actually is.”

“That’s good. Not everything has to have a purpose.”

“It wasn’t an easy lesson to get across. But I’m glad we’ve reached it. Mostly.” 

Poe glanced at the three sour-looking kids sitting in the grass. “Not as willing to shake their upbringing, I take it?”

“I think they want to, secretly. If I could get Sandy, the girl in the middle, to play then the others would too. She’s the leader of that pack. I worry about her the most. She’s scared of the First Order to the point she won’t do anything that could get her in trouble with them. Doesn’t believe us that they’re really gone.”

“If it’s the only thing you’ve known, I get that it’s hard to move on. It is encouraging to see so many of the kids doing well, though.”

Cayden nodded. “Most are. Kids are resilient.”

Poe looked down as the ball rolled over to them. He stopped it with his foot and then kicked it back toward the kids who chased after it. One of them, a tan boy with dark hair, came closer to the adults to where he could tug on Poe’s sleeve.

“What’s up, bud?” Poe asked.

“Want to play?” The boy pointed to the game.

“I don’t know the rules.”

“We’ll teach you.”

Poe considered it, noticing the game had paused and all the kids were looking at him. “Oh, okay then. If you teach me. Let’s play.”

Twenty minutes later, out of breath and sitting in the grass, Poe was grinning. The kids were scattered in the grass around him, having decided to take a break from their game. He still wasn’t sure there were rules but it had been fun to run around with them for a while--even if it reminded him just how young he wasn’t.

“Are you a prince?” A girl nearby asked him, expression fully serious.

“A prince?” Poe echoed. “No, I’m not a prince.”

“Oh. Doctor Elowan said you and Mr. Finn are important. Princes are important.”

“That is true, but we’re not princes. I’m a pilot. I fly ships. We’re here to help you guys. You’re important. I guess that makes you a princess, huh?”

The girl considered it. “I’m not a princess. Am I important?”

Poe’s smile fell. “Of course you are. Every person is important.”

“We’re not.” The speaker was the girl, Sandy, that Cayden had pointed out before. She was still where she’d been sitting but was staring down Poe like she was ready to fight him. There was something in her expression that reminded him of Rey.

“Why would you say that?” He asked gently, not wanting to antagonize but also wanting to understand what these kids really believed.

“That’s what we were told. We’re just soldiers. Meant to be sent to battle. Not special. Not worth anything.”

“They lied to you. You are more than a soldier. You are very important. Do you think all these people would be here to help you if you weren’t special? I wish it was easier to explain how wrong the First Order was, how wrong everything they did to you was. They didn’t care about you, that’s true, but that doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to be loved. You might have been nothing to them, but you are important to people like Cayden. To me. I think you’re very special.”

Sandy continued to stare at him, expression a little more uncertain. “I don’t believe you.”

“That’s fine. You don’t have to. You’re free to make your own decisions. That’s an important lesson. Never trust someone who’s telling you what to believe.”

“Mr. Poe.” There was a tug on his sleeve.

He turned his attention from Sandy to the boy at his elbow. “Yes?”

“Do you have a wife?”

The non-sequitur made him laugh. “No. I’m not married.”

A nearby girl gave him a scrutinizing look. “Girlfriend?”

“No, but I have a boyfriend.” Poe wasn’t exactly sure if that was the best reply but it felt the most honest.

“Is he pretty?” Another girl asked.

“Very.”

“Are you going to marry him?” The first boy continued to tug on his sleeve.

“I don’t know.” Poe admitted. “Maybe. If he wants to, one day.”

“Do you want to?” A girl asked.

“Do I want to marry him? Yeah. I’d like that a lot.” He watched a couple of the kids whisper to each other and giggle. 

“Will you have a bunch of babies and live in a castle?” A boy asked.

“No, I don’t think so. Definitely not a castle.” Poe replied.

“You should marry Mr. Finn.” One of the girls stated, pointing behind him.

Turning, Poe saw Finn coming toward them, unsurprisingly with Eden in his arms. Looking back to the girl, he grinned. “Why do you say that?”

“Mr. Finn is pretty.”

Poe laughed. “That is true.”

Finn gave him a curious look as he joined the group, sinking down to the grass next to Poe. “Talking about me?”

“We’ve decided you’re pretty.”

“You should be Mr. Poe’s boyfriend.” The boy next to Poe stated.

“Oh?” Finn raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like I’ve missed quite an interesting conversation.” He shifted Eden to the grass in front of him.

“You should be his boyfriend and live in a castle.” One of the girls replied.

“A castle? That sounds very fancy. I’m not sure I want to live in a castle. I think I’d like just a normal house. Maybe somewhere with a nice garden.”

Poe made a mental note of that.

“What do you think our houses are going to be like?” A boy asked. “When we’re back with our families.”

“I think it depends on where you’re from. Some planets are cold and houses are small to keep them warmer. Other planets are deserts and houses are made of sand and dug low into the ground to keep them cool. I’ve been to planets where the people live underground and others where everyone lived high in the trees. Every planet is different and some planets are different depending on where you live on them. What makes them all special is that they are home. Your house will be special because it’s yours.” Poe explained. 

“What if you can’t find our parents?” A dark-haired girl asked softly.

“Then Doctor Elowan and Cayden and all the others are going to find a home for you. Family doesn’t have to be people you’re connected to by blood. All that matters is that you love each other. There’s a family waiting out there for you. I firmly believe that. You deserve to be loved and everyone here is doing their best to find that place for you”

Eden cooed softly, like he was agreeing, as he tugged on the laces of Finn’s boots, somehow easily untying them with uncoordinated hands. Finn merely ran his fingers over the child’s hair, his expression thoughtful and somewhat sad.

“Alright, everyone.” Cayden stood, perhaps sensing that the conversation had grown too serious. “We need to be getting back inside. Say goodbye to Mr. Poe and Mr. Finn. I’m sure we’ll see them later.”

The kids got up and began to follow her.

“Bye.” One of the girls waved as she walked by.

“Bye, kiddo.” Poe waved back.

“You made some more friends.” Finn commented as he watched the kids head back toward the building.

“They’re pretty sweet kids. Funny too. Seem really fascinated with my relationship status.”

“Oh? What did you tell them?”

“That I had a boyfriend.”

Finn made a thoughtful noise. “I see…”

Poe reached over and took his hand. “Is that okay? I’m not trying to push it if you aren’t ready to label things. Whatever you’re comfortable with.”

“I’m fine with boyfriend. I like it.”

“Yeah? You want to be my boyfriend?”

“And then some.”

Poe blinked. He hadn’t expected that answer. In the back of his mind he knew this probably wasn’t the best place to be doing this, but he didn’t care as he reached over and drew Finn into a sweet kiss. He would have kept kissing him if Eden hadn’t squealed and flung himself into Finn’s lap, as if trying to get himself between them.

Backing off, Poe couldn’t help laughing. It seemed they just weren’t meant to have a quiet moment this trip.

“What was that?” Poe tickled the boy’s chin. “Don’t tell me you’re getting territorial. I was here first. I’m sharing with you.”

Eden babbled a little and reached for Finn, flopping into his arms with a whine.

“You’re not upset are you?” Finn asked softly, letting the baby tuck against him.

“Not at all.” Poe assured. “All these kids deserve to feel cared for and loved, even if it’s just for a few days. You don’t have to worry about me. I’m happy to share. But only because he’s so stinking cute.” He nodded to Eden.

Finn laughed. “Speaking of stinking cute… I think he needs a new diaper.”

“The hero general of the Resistance and diaper changer. A man of many talents.”

“And that’s just the beginning.” With a small wink, Finn rose elegantly to his feet. 

Poe could only stare at him as he headed for the buildings. He thought he’d seen, and fallen in love with, all sides of Finn. But a flirty, playful Finn? That was new and made Poe’s stomach do all kinds of funny things.

He sat there for a few minutes, letting himself be the lovesick idiot he was. Eventually, however, he returned to the building and wandered around until he found Micah and his group of kids. 

For at least an hour, he sat with them as they drew pictures and explained the stories behind the images. He was even coerced into drawing with them--ending up with a rather questionable picture of BB-8 that seemed to amuse the children greatly.

When Micah announced it was time to return to lessons, Poe took his leave and made his way back to the med bay, walking into a scene of chaos. Everyone was busy with a pack of little kids that they were attempting to get samples from, with seemingly little success. Even at first glance, Poe could tell it was like herding tookas. Jumping into the fray, he scooped up a little girl that was trying to sneak out the door. She clutched her small arms around his neck, whining softly about the ‘scary doctor’.

“You’re okay, sweetie.” Poe rubbed her back. “They’re not scary, I promise. I’ll stay with you. How about that? That okay?”

“Yeah.” She nodded, sniffling a little.

By the time the afternoon was over, Poe had found himself seated on the floor with no less than three kids attached to him at any point. It didn’t seem to matter what age group was brought in, there were at least one or two that seemed terrified to be in the med bay (which just made Poe’s blood boil with anger at the First Order once more). 

Poe, Finn, and Jannah had all been volunteers at different points to show that the sample collection process was painless and nothing to be scared of. While that seemed to ease the fears of most, it didn’t stop the kids from clinging and watching everything with wary eyes.

As the last group of the day finally departed, Poe gave a tired sigh, leaning back against the wall. He felt a little like a human junglegym after being climbed on and over all afternoon, but, if he was being honest, he’d enjoyed it greatly.

“Want dinner or are you going to just sit there?” Finn’s voice came from in front of him.

He looked up at the young man, who was smiling at him. “Where’s Eden?”

“The nurses are going to watch him while we eat. We can come get him and the crib when we’re done. Ready?”

“Sounds good.” Poe let Finn help him to his feet. He stretched his back a little. “Did that get all the kids into the system?”

“Yeah. Now we wait and see if we get any matches.”

“Can you tell how many samples are in the system already?”

Finn nodded as they headed toward the mess hall. “Over five thousand.”

“Seriously?” Poe paused and stared at him.

“Lando’s been busy. They were also able to identify a couple planets that the First Order hit pretty recently so a lot of samples came in there. Those are where we’ll probably see the first kids get connected to.”

“I just… every time I think I comprehend how awful the First Order was, I learn more reasons to despise them. How many more places like this might be out there?”

“I don’t know.” Finn sighed. “I try not to think about it too much. I want to find them and make sure all kids the First Order took from their homes have a chance to be reunited with their parents, but for now, I want to focus on these kids. Do right by them.”

“I get that.” Poe nodded. “All we can do is the best we can. Right here and now.” He kissed Finn’s cheek lightly. 

Finn nodded and returned a soft, light kiss to Poe’s lips. Threading their fingers together, he held on tight as they started walking again. 

\----  
Settled back in their room after dinner and retrieving Eden, along with his crib, Poe sat on the bed and admired the scene in front of him--Finn was focused on the baby, checking Eden’s diaper and trying to convince the boy it was time to sleep. Poe felt so much love for this incredible man that he thought his chest was going to explode.

Finn, ever-observant, seemed to pick up on this. He turned to Poe with a raised eyebrow. “What’s that look for?”

“It’s sexy, you know? Seeing you so good with kids.”

“Really?”

“Oh yeah. And it’s not just me. I’ve had to break the news to most of the nurses that you’re taken. A man who’s good with babies is very attractive.”

Finn considered it a moment. “I’ve enjoyed watching you with the kids too. They like you. It makes me want to kiss you.”

Poe grinned and opened his arms. “I’m all yours.”

With one last pat to Eden’s stomach, Finn moved from the crib and crossed to the bed. He climbed over Poe and kissed him firmly.

Poe wrapped his arms around him and pulled him close, enjoying having a lapful of Finn. They pressed together, kissing eagerly. It was Poe that pulled away and turned his attention to kissing Finn’s neck, paying special attention to a spot under the other man’s ear.

“Poe.” Finn breathed softly. He tangled a hand into Poe’s curls and held him tightly.

“Something wrong?”

“Not a thing.”

“Good.” Poe shifted his kisses downward, all the way to Finn’s shoulder. “Been wanting to kiss you like this for days.”

Finn tugged lightly on Poe’s hair. “Come back up here.” He guided Poe’s head up to recapture his lips in a deep kiss.

They slowly settled further into the bed, Poe letting Finn dictate the kisses. It was sweet and wonderful and Poe never wanted it to stop. He snaked a hand under the hem of Finn’s shirt, humming into the kiss as he brushed fingers over warm, soft skin.

“Poe?” Finn barely pulled away, his lips still brushing Poe’s.

“Yes, babe?”

“I-” Whatever he was going to say was stopped abruptly as a cry came from across the room. He looked toward the crib and then back to Poe, looking torn.

“Go ahead.” Poe kissed him softly on the nose. “I’ll be right here.”

Finn returned a light kiss and gave a smile before slipping from the bed and crossing back over to the crib. He cooed at Eden before lifting the boy out and settling him on his shoulder.

Poe watched fondly, shifting down to rest on the pillow. He let his eyes drift closed a little, listening to the soft, comforting noises Finn was making as he rocked Eden gently. With a heart full of love and hope, he felt at peace for the first time in a long time. Felt that everything he had fought for had been worthwhile. And he couldn’t wait to see what came next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone that's been reading! Two more chapters to go. They're almost finished so I hope to wrap this up in the next few weeks.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Goodbyes and 'I love you' are said and Poe and Finn make some decisions about their future.

Two more days passed quickly and enjoyably. Poe liked the routine they’d fallen into--spending most of the day in the classrooms or outside with the children while helping Jannah manage the database when needed. 

While Eden still clung to Finn, the baby had warmed up to Poe, not fussing nearly as much when Finn transferred him over. Poe hadn’t ever considered himself paternal but he certainly felt a sense of protectiveness over the baby--and, to some extent, all the kids they’d gotten to know.

On the second to last morning of their time on Prestica, Poe wasn’t even annoyed when he woke to Eden’s soft cries. He merely pressed himself to Finn’s back, enjoying the contact as long as he could.

“I should go check on him.” Finn stated, but didn’t move away.

“Kiss first.”

Chuckling, he complied, shifted around to kiss Poe softly. “Good?”

“Be better if we could stay here longer and cuddle, but I’ll take it.”

“Maybe we can sneak away at nap time and cuddle then.”

“I like the way you think.”

Finn smiled and kissed him one more time before departing the bed and crossing over to the crib. “Good morning, little one.” He cooed at Eden as he picked the boy up and tucked him close. 

Poe watched them for a moment before climbing out of the bed and heading for the fresher, running a hand over Finn’s back as he went. When he reemerged, ready to go, he found Eden scooting across the floor while Finn was changing his shirt.

“Where are you going?” He teased as he scooped the boy up. “Trying to make a break for it?”

Eden giggled and reached for Poe’s necklace. He babbled a little as he played with the ring.

“Yeah? Is that so?” Poe asked. “Very interesting.”

Finn chuckled. “Sounds like a deep conversation.”

“Always.”

“Ready for breakfast?”

“Sure.” Poe turned his attention to Eden. “Should we give you some more of that sticky fruit you like? It was fun to watch you make a mess of Finn yesterday.”

The boy babbled, reaching for Finn. 

“Don’t encourage him.” Finn rolled his eyes, taking the baby and settling him against his chest.

“If we’d been alone, I could have helped you clean up.”

The younger man flushed a little. “Don’t say things like that…” He gave him a look and then headed for the door.

“Why?” Poe trailed after him, grinning. “Giving you ideas?”

“It’s not nice to tease.”

“Who says I’m teasing?”

Finn gave him a considering look. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Pleased to get a response from him, Poe chuckled as they entered the mess hall. “You’ll never look at fruit the same way.”

“Stop it.”

“Make me.”

Finn retrieved a sweet pastry from the food options and shoved it into Poe’s open mouth. Looking satisfied with himself, he turned his attention to selecting his breakfast.

Poe slowly chewed the pastry, amused, and began to fill his tray as well.

With food finally in hand, they settled at a table and started in on their breakfast. The kids they were with were about six years old and happy to chat about anything on their minds as they ate. Poe ended up in an odd conversation about fish with two of the boys, which certainly made time pass by quickly. 

Once finished, they made their way to the med bay, Eden giggling in Finn’s arms. Like other mornings, Jannah was already there, sitting with Meria at the computers.

“Good morning.” Meria greeted. “You look more rested than I was expecting.”

Jannah laughed and tried to hide it under a cough as Finn gave her an unamused look.

“Eden’s been sleeping pretty well.” Finn replied. “He hasn’t been any trouble.”

“Glad to hear it.”

“We have four matches!” Elowan announced brightly as she came from a nearby office and joined them. “All from the same planet that the initial group of children were from--the ones we had records for.”

“Not too surprising, I guess.” Poe nodded. “The First Order was big on efficiency.”

Finn was staring at the doctor with an odd expression. “What’s the bad news?”

Elowan blinked at him, looking startled. Poe sympathized a little. Finn and Rey both caught him off guard with their Force-observations on plenty of occasions.

“It’s not really bad news.” The doctor explained. “It’s good. We found Eden’s parents.”

“Oh.” Finn’s face went blank.

“I know you are planning on leaving tomorrow and you have responsibilities back at the Resistance, but I was wondering if you’d like to take him home personally?”

Poe was ready to say they had time, that the Resistance could be without them for a few more days, but Finn responded first.

“I appreciate that, but no.” Finn stated simply. “We do need to be getting back. And… I think it would be easiest for all of us to say our goodbyes here.”

“I understand.” Elowan nodded, her expression sympathetic.

Poe understood as well, but that didn’t keep his heart from aching for Finn. The younger man kept his expression neutral but Poe sensed he was more upset than he was letting on. 

“Who are the others?” Poe asked.

“Cobalt, Robyn, and Kegan.” Elowan replied. 

“Good for them. I’m glad the database is working.”

“We’ve had the number of family samples nearly double, along with the number of planets represented.” Jannah added. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you start getting a lot more matches.”

“That is the hope.” Meria commented. “I just want to see these kids go home.”

“We all do.” Poe nodded, hand on Finn’s back.

Seeming to snap out of his daze, Finn looked to Elowan. “What can we be doing to help today?”

“Honestly, just be there for the children.” Elowan replied. “They’re going to have questions--both the ones who are going home and the ones that aren’t. They like you and they trust you. Be there for them today?”

“Of course. We’d be happy to.”

“Let us know if you need us for anything.” Poe added. He tugged on Finn’s shirt sleeve. “Should we go see what the kids are up to?”

“Yeah, sounds good.” Finn nodded.

They headed out of the med bay and made their way down the hall. Eden babbled quietly, seemingly oblivious to the mood of the two men.

“Finn?” Poe touched his arm lightly.

“Not now.” Finn replied softly. “Please.”

“That’s fine.”

Walking in silence, they made their way outside and surveyed the small groups of kids and adults scattered around in the grass. Poe saw Cayden give them a wave and he returned the gesture. Leaving Finn to do whatever he felt up to, Poe wandered over to the group and immediately had a kid on each arm.

“Is Mr. Finn going to come play too?” Layla, the girl currently tugging on his right arm, asked.

Poe glanced over to see Finn had followed but was settling down in the grass with Eden. “Not right now. But I will. What are we playing today?”

He let them run him in circles for nearly half an hour, all the while keeping an eye on Finn. The other man seemed content to sit and let Eden crawl around in the grass (while continually keeping the boy from eating said vegetation). Eventually, worn out, Poe excused himself from the kids and flopped onto his back in the grass at Finn’s side.

His calm was short-lived, however, as Eden crawled over and climbed onto his stomach. The boy babbled excited and played with the buttons on Poe’s shirt. Poe ran a hand over Eden’s hair, smiling faintly.

“The galaxy is still so new to you, huh? So much to explore and discover. And you’ll get to see it at peace. You’re lucky, bud.”

Eden cooed and tugged at a button, seemingly amused by his newfound toy.

“Do you think his parents are good people?” Finn asked, out of nowhere.

Poe considered it a moment. “I think they love their child enough to want him back. They submitted their samples to the database, after all. I think they deserve to have him back. And I’m sure they’ll do their best to raise him, just like any parent. If I say that I believe he’ll be happy and loved, would that make you feel better?” 

“A little.”

“Then I believe it. And I mean it.”

Finn nodded thoughtfully. He glanced to Eden and gave a small smile. “He’d gotten further with your clothes than I have this trip.”

Poe looked down to see the baby had undone one of the buttons on his shirt. “How did you manage that?” He tapped the boy on the nose. “You’re going to make Finn jealous.”

The younger man just rolled his eyes. Eden giggled and climbed from Poe, crawling back over to Finn.

“Oh, I see how it is.” Poe huffed. He righted his shirt button as he watched Finn prevent the boy from eating a tiny fistful of grass. “Want to go back inside? See what some of the other kids are up to?”

“Sure.” 

Making their way into the building, they spent a while wandering from classroom to classroom, chatting with the kids and helping out with a lesson or two as they went (Poe particularly liked watching Finn read to the kids, Eden on his lap).

Eventually, they ended up in Micah’s classroom, immediately distracting all the kids from what they were supposed to be doing. Micah didn’t seem too bothered so Poe couldn’t really feel bad about, not when the kids were so excited to see them.

They had only been in the room a minute or two, however, when Eden began to fuss. Finn resettled the boy on his shoulder, running a hand over his back. 

“He’s crying again.” Scarlet made a face. “Why?”

“I think he’s probably tired.” Poe answered. “He needs to sleep more than us. Crying is his way of telling us he’s ready for his nap.”

“Why don’t we get to take naps?” Forest asked, expression one of deep consideration.

“That is an excellent question, kiddo. I have wondered that many times in my grown-up life.”

“I’m going to go back to the room and settle him down.” Finn gave a little nod toward the door.

“Okay.” Poe replied simply. He wanted to offer to go along, but didn’t, thinking Finn might want a few minutes alone.

He kept his attention on the younger man until he was out of sight down the hall. Looking back to the kids, he found them all watching him with very serious expressions.

“Something wrong?” He asked.

“Mr. Finn seems sad.” Ruby stated.

Poe considered his answer for a moment. “He is. I am too. We’re leaving tomorrow and it’s going to be hard to say goodbye to all of you.”

“Eden too?” Forest asked. “You have to say goodbye to him?”

“Yeah. We found his parents. He’s going home. That’s a really good thing. Sometimes things can be happy and sad at the same time.”

“That doesn’t make sense.” Scarlet replied with a frown. 

“I know.” Poe gave a small smile. “Life is like that.” 

Cobalt wandered over and eyed him for a moment. Poe was getting ready to ask what was on his mind, if the boy was worried about his own return home, when suddenly the child was wrapped around him, hugging him tightly.

“You okay, bud?” Poe asked gently, returning the hug gently.

“Yeah. I’m scared but excited.” Cobalt nodded, face in Poe’s shirt. “I want to go home. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I’m glad we got to help.”

The boy unwrapped himself and stepped back, still fixed on him with a stare. “You should go after Mr. Finn. He shouldn’t be sad alone.”

Poe ran a hand over Cobalt’s blonde curls. “You’re right. I should go find him. We’ll come see you tomorrow before we leave, alright?”

“Alright.”

He glanced around at the other kids, wishing he could say more. All he could do was hope his smile was more reassuring than he felt. He saw Micah give an understanding nod before the other man turned his attention to corralling the kids to return to their lessons.

Poe headed out of the room and made his way down the hall. He took a deep breath as he reached the room he shared with Finn before entering. Closing the door quietly behind him, he paused and surveyed the scene.

Finn was sitting on the bed, Eden curled up in his arms--the baby appearing to sleep soundly. The younger man glanced up, trying to put on a brave smile but it didn’t make it to his eyes. 

Crossing over to the bed, Poe kicked off his boots and climbed in next to Finn, careful not to disturb Eden in the process. He tucked an arm around Finn and pressed a soft kiss to his temple.

Finn leaned into the embrace, resting his head on Poe’s shoulder. He said nothing, but in many ways that spoke louder than any words.

They sat in silence for many minutes, just pressed close. Eventually, Poe sighed and nudged at Finn’s hair with his nose.

“Finn? Do you want to talk about it?” He asked softly. “You don’t have to, but you also don’t have to carry whatever you’re feeling alone. I hope you know that.”

“I do.” Finn nodded. His fingers brushed through Eden’s dark hair. “I don’t know what I was expecting. This is the best outcome for him. He gets to go home. To parents that deserve to have their baby back. I just…”

“Got attached. There’s not wrong with that but it does make saying goodbye hard.”

“I knew goodbye would happen. Mostly. Maybe there was a small part of me that thought I could keep him.” He gave a humorless laugh. “I’m the last person that should be trying to raise a child.”

“You wouldn’t be doing it alone.” Poe replied softly. “If you didn’t want to, that is.”

Finn raised his head and met Poe’s eyes. “You mean that?”

“Of course. Finn, I love you. I have almost since the moment we met. I hope our future can be a home together. A family, if we want it. I’m here. Whatever you need. Whatever makes you happiest.”

“Poe… I…” The young man seemed at loss for words for a moment before leaning in and kissing Poe firmly. His abrupt movement woke Eden, who whined and squirmed. Finn either didn’t notice or chose to ignore it for the moment, giving Poe his full attention. When he did finally pull back, his eyes were damp.

“It’s okay.” Poe kissed his cheek. “You don’t have to say anything.”

“Poe, you said you love me.”

“I do. I mean, I didn’t think that was exactly a big secret.”

Finn gave a wet laugh, tears slipping down his cheeks. “You make it sound so easy. No one’s ever said those words to me before. I didn’t think I could feel love. I didn’t think anyone could love me.”

“You are. Loved. Not just by me. You have Rey. You have Rose, Jannah. You have people who care deeply for you. And none of us hold it against you if you aren’t comfortable saying those words. We don’t need to hear them to know.”

“I just feel… broken. You deserve more than that.”

“Don’t say that. It’s not true.” Poe kissed away one of the tears falling down Finn’s cheek. “You’re one of the strongest people I know.” 

“I don’t feel strong. Not right now.”

“You’re healing. We all are. One day, you’ll look back and see how strong you were to survive everything you’ve been through. For now, you’ll just have to trust me. You’re amazing, Finn.”

Finn gave him a small smile. “Well, who am I to argue with you?”

“Usually the first.” Poe teased.

“You have pretty bad ideas sometimes.”

“They almost always work.”

“It’s the ‘almost’ that’s worrying.”

Poe chuckled. “You haven’t heard some of my best stories: breaking into prisons, making deals with Hutts, hiding in Leia’s wardrobe…”

“It’s a miracle you’re alive, Poe Dameron.” Finn rolled his eyes. “Think you’ll ever be able to give that life up?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re a pilot that loves the thrill and the adrenaline. That’s why you hate politics, isn’t it? It’s too safe and stationary. Do you think you could really be happy living a normal life? No prison breaks, no life-or-death battles, no running for your life on a regular basis?”

Poe considered the question as he watched Eden, who’d fallen silent when his complaints had been ignored. The boy had squirmed over to tuck himself between their bodies, face tucked into Finn’s shirt. Poe ran a hand through the baby’s soft curls of hair.

“I’m starting to think I could. Right now, a quiet life sounds nice. No more fighting. I think I’d like to raise a family one day. I hope the days of running for my life are far behind me.”

“That would be nice, wouldn’t it?” Finn mused.

“We’ll be okay, Finn. I believe that with all my heart. We’re going to be okay, love.”

They stayed tucked together while Eden slept. Once the boy was awake again, they ventured back out into the halls, traveling from classroom to classroom until it was time for dinner. The other kids--Robyn and Kegan--who had been given the news they were going home were eager to talk to them, asking all kinds of questions that Poe didn’t know the answer to. But he was glad they were excited rather than scared of returning to families they didn’t remember.

The evening was quiet as Finn took Eden through their nightly routine--a bath in the small refresher sink, a clean diaper and pajamas. If Finn held the baby just a little longer than normal after the boy had fallen asleep in his arms, Poe wasn’t going to comment on it. When Eden was finally tucked into his crib and Finn had slipped into bed, Poe merely pulled the other man tight. 

There seemed to be nothing left to say, just a matter of waiting for the morning to come. And figure out how they were going to say goodbye.

Poe was surprised to sleep well and soundly. He had all the nights they’d been on Prestica, but he’d partially expected his worry for Finn to keep him restless. Instead, he woke rested and found that Finn was already up and taking care of Eden.

“Did you sleep at all?” Poe asked.

“A little.” Finn replied.

“Maybe it’s your turn to sleep in the shuttle. I can give some recommendations on where the bunk is least lumpy.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Climbing from the bed, Poe crossed over and pressed a kiss to Finn’s temple before heading into the fresher. It didn’t take him long to get ready and even less time to pack their things back up into the small travel bag they’d brought. He did one last scan of the room before slinging the bag across his back.

“It’s time to go, love.” He said gently.

“I know.” Finn nodded. He held Eden just a little tighter, nose pressed into the dark curls.

The boy giggled and babbled, reaching out a hand toward Poe.

“Going to miss you, bud.” Poe let the boy wrap small fingers around one of his. “You be good for your mom and dad, okay? I’m sure they’ve really missed you terribly.” He leaned in and kissed the baby on the forehead. “You are so special. I know you’re going to be amazing.” He gently pried his finger away from the tight grip. “But we’ve got to say goodbye now.”

Eden cooed and looked toward Finn.

“Yeah, we do.” Finn replied. “You’re going to go stay with the nurses for now. You’ll be back home soon. Back where you never should have been taken from.”

Poe gave a nod of agreement and went over to the crib, rolling it toward the door. He watched Finn take a deep, slow breath, before the younger man opened the door and headed out into the hallway.

The walk to the med bay was quiet and slow. Poe could have written it off as a result of pushing the crib ahead of them, but he knew Finn was lingering just a little. He wasn’t exactly rushing either. 

In the med bay was just one nurse. Poe couldn’t remember if he’d ever learned her name, but she met them with a small smile, taking the crib and returning it to where it had been that first morning they’d been there.

Finn followed her and paused at the side of the crib, shifting Eden so he could look at the little boy better. “Grow up kind.” He kissed the baby’s hair. “Grow up happy. That’s the best victory there is.”

Poe squeezed his shoulder, feeling fond and proud. He watched Finn settle Eden into the crib and gave a slight sigh of relief that the boy merely babbled rather than crying. He wasn’t sure either were going to be able to walk away if Eden was crying.

“Thank you for looking after him.” The nurse commented. “We’ll make sure he gets home safely.”

Finn nodded and gave a short smile. “Good luck with everything.”

“You too.”

Poe tangled his fingers with Finn’s and gave him a gentle tug. “Ready?” He asked softly.

“Yeah. Ready as I’ll be.” Finn tore his gaze away from Eden’s crib and met Poe’s eyes. “Let’s go.”

Silently, they exited the med bay for the last time and walked through the quiet of the halls. Stepping outside, they found everyone else was gathered near the doors. It was only seconds before Poe found himself with several kids wrapped around his waist. Glancing over, he saw the same was happening to Finn.

“You made quite an impact.” Elowan commented, watching the kids with a fond smile. “You’ll be missed.”

“We’ll miss everyone as well.” Poe replied, returning Ruby’s surprisingly strong hug. “Thank you for letting us be part of this. I’m glad we were able to do some good.”

“We’ve had seven more matches since yesterday. We’re going to get them home.”

“That’s wonderful.” He looked over to see Jannah talking with a couple of the adults while several littler kids chased D-0 in circles, the droid seeming to do it out of entertainment rather than terror. “I guess it’s time for us to go home too.” Even as he said it, it felt strange. He didn’t really feel like the Resistance base was truly home, but it was the closest they had.

“Safe travels, generals.” Elowan added. She stepped back and surveyed the mass of kids. “Come on, everyone. You’ve got to let them go. There are important things for them to be doing.”

With lingering hugs and soft goodbyes, the kids unlatched and backed up a little, forming a rough pathway toward the shuttle. Poe retook Finn’s hand, feeling a little adrift suddenly without contact. The way Finn held back told him that the other man was probably feeling the same.

They took their time getting through the crowd. Stopping here and there to say goodbyes to the adults and some of the shyer kids, like little Hazel, who dashed forward from Micah’s side to hug Finn and then retreated just as quickly.

Jannah waited for them at the shuttle, D-0 pacing restlessly at her feet. “You two okay?”

“Yeah.” Finn nodded. “Will be. You?”

“I’m fine.” She watched him carefully. “You need me to do any piloting on the way back?”

Poe glanced to Finn and then back to her. “I’ll let you know if I do. Personally, I’m ready to be flying again. Not used to being on the ground this long.” He led the way into the shuttle and dropped down into the pilot’s seat. 

Finn sat silently beside him while Jannah took the seat behind. D-0 hovered at Finn’s feet but was unusually quiet as well.

The browns of Prestica slowly grew further away as Poe guided the shuttle off the ground and directed it toward the clouds. It didn’t take long at all before they were through the atmosphere and the darkness of space lay out before them.

While the journey there had been one fatigued with the weight of politics and lack of sleep, the way back felt heavier with emotion and a sense of loss that Poe couldn’t quite define. The shuttle was quiet the whole way back to Ajan Kloss save for a few quiet words as Jannah brought out some food the staff back on Prestica had packed for them.

Poe set the shuttle down amongst the other ships on Ajan Kloss, noting the _Millennium Falcon_ nearby which meant Rey had returned from wherever she had ventured as well. In fact, when they stepped from the shuttle the young woman was waiting nearby, BB-8 at her feet.

With eager beeps, BB-8 sped over and circled Poe several times before pausing in front of him.

“Hi, buddy. Good to see you too.” Poe knelt and patted the droid on the head. “Glad to see you’re in one piece this time.” He listened to BB-8’s reply. “Sand? How did you get sand in you?”

“We were on Tatooine.” Rey replied, wandering closer. 

“Why?” Finn asked, looking thoroughly baffled. 

“I wanted to take Luke and Leia’s lightsabers somewhere meaningful. That seemed like a good place.”

“Back to where it all started, I suppose.” Poe nodded. “You good?”

“Yeah.” Rey gave a smile, looking more at peace then he’d ever seen her. “I decided something else while I was there. I chose a family name.”

“What’d you pick?” Finn asked.

“Skywalker.”

Poe let that process for a moment. He could tell she was watching his reaction. “They’d be proud.” He replied honestly.

She looked pleased with that and glanced at Finn.

“Seems fitting.” The younger man commented. “I’m glad you found what you were looking for.”

“How was your mission?”

“Successful. Now onto the next thing.”

Poe frowned a little at that answer and at how detached Finn seemed.

“Want to have some lunch and tell me more about it?” Rey offered, eyeing him uncertainly.

“Maybe dinner. I’ve got a few things to do and catch up on after being gone.” He gave her shoulder a squeeze as he moved past her. “I’ll see you later.” With that, he headed off in the direction of the command stations.

As soon as Finn was out of earshot, Rey rounded on Poe. “What did you do?” 

“Hey!” Poe held his hands up in defense. “I didn’t do anything. I resent that accusation.”

“Then what happened? Finn’s obviously upset.”

“There was a baby on Prestica. Finn got attached. The kid was one of the lucky ones that got a match--he’s going home to his family. Look, everything that happened was a lot for Finn. Facing what happened to him, seeing those kids get a second chance… bonding with a child he had to say goodbye to… he’s dealing with a lot. And it’s not my fault.”

Rey considered him a moment. “Shouldn’t you be going after him?”

“I don’t know. Maybe some time to himself would be good.” Poe shrugged. 

“When do you leave again?”

He blinked at the unexpected question. “Two days.”

Rey merely hummed thoughtfully and turned to walk off.

“Point made.” Poe called after her. “This is why people don’t like Jedi.”

She glanced back at him with a small smirk before continuing on to wherever she was headed.

“Kriffin’ Skywalkers.”

At Poe’s feet, BB-8 burburled a concerned question.

“It’s gonna be fine, bud. I’ll go find Finn soon. I’ve got a call to make first.” 

Half an hour later, Poe ventured into the trees around their camp, pointed that direction by a concerned D-0. Having nothing to rely on but his instincts (he occasionally wished his father had taught him something about tracking), he set off through the thick foliage. Much to his surprise, it didn’t take him long to find Finn.

The younger man sat against a large tree, eyes closed as if meditating. Poe paused and watched him, not wanting to interrupt. He found it unlikely Finn hadn’t heard his approach but wanted to let Finn decide when he was ready.

It was only a few breaths before Finn spoke. “You just going to stand there?” He asked without opening his eyes.

“Didn’t want to interrupt some important Force… stuff.” Poe replied.

Finn snorted a little. “Not sure I’m very good at this Force ‘stuff’.”

“You’re still learning. I didn’t learn to fly overnight. Be patient with yourself. You decide what you want. If you don’t want to do Force stuff, you don’t have to.”

“I know.” He opened his eyes and gazed up at Poe. “I’m sorry I’ve been making you worry.”

“Don’t be.” Poe sat next to him. “That’s what you do for people you care about. You worry. And you try to make things better for them. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I have a suggestion.”

“Okay.”

“Let’s go back to Prestica.”

“What?” Finn frowned. “What do you mean?”

“The Resistance doesn’t need us anymore, not really. Let’s retire and go back to Prestica as civilians. Just another set of volunteers to help with the kids. We can figure out our path from there. Whatever we want. I just know two things: I’m ready to enjoy this peace we fought for and I want to spend that peace with you.”

“Poe, I… I don’t… You really want to walk away from the Resistance?”

“For you? Yeah.” Poe slid his hand into Finn’s. “I don’t want to be a politician. I don’t want to be a soldier anymore. There are kids out there that we could help. We can still make the galaxy better in our own way. I want to do this if you do.”

Finn still looked a little startled, dazed.

“You don’t have to decide anything now. We don’t have to do anything immediately. But I did talk to Doctor Elowan. We’re welcome back if we want to go.”

“You already talked to her?”

“I didn’t want to make the suggestion to you and then find out that they didn’t want us.” Poe shrugged. “Just think about it, okay?”

Finn’s response was to surge forward and kiss Poe with great enthusiasm. He didn’t back off until both were breathless. “I love you.”

Poe smiled at him and kissed away a tear that was slipping down his cheek. “I love you too. So much.”

“Promise not to be upset by what I’m going to ask next?”

Sitting back just a little, Poe studied him. Finn looked clear eyed, confident. It was obvious he’d made his decision. 

“It worries me when you have to preface it. Go on and ask. You know I’m hopeless to say no to you.”

“Can we ask Rey to come with us?”

Poe’s initial reaction was that Rey and children didn’t seem like the best combination, but after a moment of consideration, he understood the question.

“I think we should ask. Will you be okay if she says no?”

“Yes.” Finn nodded. “I just don’t want to leave her on her own if she doesn’t want to be. She’s family. I’d like it if she came with but I also get it if she doesn’t want to.”

“Won’t know until we ask.”

“Thank you, Poe.” Finn tucked close again. 

“Anything for you, love. Anything at all.”

\---  
Three weeks later, Poe set the shuttle down on the unassuming surface of Prestica. The planet was still as brown as it had been, but it felt different this time. The beginning of a new story.

Exiting the shuttle, he found Finn and D-0 waiting. He’d barely gotten both feet on the surface before Finn was in his space and kissing him eagerly. Returning the kiss happily, Poe ignored the commentary from the droids (BB-8 had picked up some bad habits from R2-D2) and pulled Finn closer.

When they finally pulled apart to breath, he grinned at Finn.

“Missed you.”

“Me too.” Finn replied. “How’d it go with the senators?”

“Good. I think they were happy to learn they didn’t have to deal with me anymore. So happy, in fact, that they sent some supplies along.” Poe nodded back toward the shuttle. “Got some good stuff for the kids.”

“We can unload later. Come on. Everyone will be happy to see you. Not as much as me, of course, but happy enough.”

“How’s Rey doing?”

“Really well. The kids really like her. She’s identified a couple that are Force sensitive and have been attempting to do some training.”

“Attempting?”

“Well, there’s a six year old that can levitate rocks better than I can and a four year old that makes the rocks explode.”

Poe blinked. “That’s somewhat terrifying.”

“Yeah. It’s been exciting around here.” Finn laughed.

“You look happy.”

“I am. I really am.”

Poe couldn’t help but smile. He intertwined his fingers with Finn’s as they walked along. He wasn’t sure what their futures were going to look like but it didn’t scare him. He had Finn. No matter what they faced, he was confident they were going to be okay. They had each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue will be up next! Thank you for all your kudos and comments!


	5. Epilogue

Three years later, Trovien VI

Poe had about two seconds of warning between waking to the eager cry of ‘Papa!’ and feeling the child pounce upon him. He groaned, not only at the abrupt awakening but at the elbow that landed in his ribs. 

“Devon...” He fumbled blindly for the boy, not quite willing to open his eyes yet, and found a shoulder. He held gently, just to keep the bouncing to a minimum.

“Dada says it’s time to get up.”

Cracking open an eye, Poe saw Finn standing near the open door, watching with both fondness and amusement. Poe had figured his husband was behind it--the kids weren’t allowed in their bedroom without permission and Finn always seemed to enjoy making him pay for sleeping in.

“What did I do to deserve a family of morning-people?” Poe grumbled.

Finn merely chuckled.

“It’s market day! You need to get up, Papa.” Devon stated insistently.

“That’s right. It is market day. Alright, alright. I’m up, I’m up.” Poe sat up. “I’ll be out in a few minutes, okay?”

“Okay.” Devon nodded and scrambled from the bed, dashing past Finn and off into the house.

“You enjoy letting them attack me like that, don’t you.” Poe yawned as he kicked the blankets away. 

Finn shrugged. “They enjoy it.” He crossed over and sat on the edge of the bed, leaning over to kiss Poe softly. “They’re restless this morning. You know how much they love market day.”

“I do know. I’ll be ready as quickly as I can. Promise.”

The younger man gave him another quick kiss before standing and heading back out of the room.

Climbing from the warmth of the bed, Poe quickly got himself ready and set off to join the rest of the family.

It was a sunny, warm day on Trovien VI. The climate was always mild and the planet was lovely with lush forests and rolling hills. Poe had fallen in love with it almost immediately and had enjoyed calling it home for over two years since the people of Trovien invited them to live there. The First Order had taken many children from the planet decades earlier and while the parents did not expect to ever see their sons and daughters again, they were happy to welcome other children who needed a home. Poe and Finn were just one of four families living on Trovien with their adopted broods of former Stormtrooper children and they had been welcomed like a long-lost family.

Poe couldn’t help but feel a deep satisfaction in his soul as he walked out into the main room of the house and surveyed his family. Devon and Ravi, the youngest boys, were in the process of some minor scuffle on the rug, which Finn was pointedly ignoring. Instead, Finn was finishing a careful braid in Janie’s long dark hair, the girl dressed in a pink outfit one of the neighbors had recently made for her. In the kitchen, their oldest boy, Ammen, was staring intently into the oven, flour dusting his tan skin and dark clothing.

“Papa!” Ravi immediately disengaged from his brother and came running over to latch onto Poe’s waist. “Are we going to go soon?”

“Soon.” Poe promised, running a hand through the boy’s blonde hair. He glanced around. “Where’s your sister?”

None of the children would look at him, clearly knowing the answer but not wanting to say so. It was Janie that gave a small point toward the front door.

“Did she make you promise not to tell?” Finn asked, no anger in his voice.

“Yeah.” 

“Want to go get her?”

With a nod, the girl bounded off and out the door. She left it open so her voice could be heard moments later, accompanied by a pounding.

“Birdy! Stop being gross with your boyfriend and come inside! Papa’s up!”

Poe couldn’t help laughing. He glanced at Finn to see the other man rolling his eyes. 

“Man, I was not prepared for teenagers.” Finn commented as Poe walked by on his way to the kitchen. 

“You and me both, love.” 

On the kitchen counter was a still-steaming plate of pastries, clearly carefully made and baked. Ammen glanced up from the oven and toward the plate.

“I made a new recipe. Will you try one, Papa?” 

“Of course.” Poe picked one up and took a curious bite off one corner. He was continually surprised at how well a fourteen-year-old with no experience prior to moving to Trovien had mastered the art of baking. The pastry was soft and sweet, filled with local fruit. “That’s delicious.”

“Really?” Ammen asked, expression brightening. “You mean it?”

“I always do.” He patted the boy on the shoulder. “These are really good.”

“Thanks.”

Poe turned his attention away from Ammen as Janie trotted back through the door, followed a few steps behind by the oldest sibling in the family. At sixteen, Birdy was proving to be a little more of a challenge than Poe had expected. Not because she’s been raised by the First Order for nearly thirteen years, but simply because she was a normal teenager.

Tall and skinny with bright red hair, Birdy was a little flushed, whether in embarrassment or annoyance at her sister was hard to tell.

“Morning, sweetie.” Poe grinned at her.

“Morning, Papa.” She replied back mildly, still giving Janie a somewhat dirty look.

“Don’t blame your sister. I sent her after you.” Finn stated. “It’s nearly time to get going.”

“Why do I have to go with you? Why can’t I go to the market with Pedret?”

Poe liked the boy, he really did. After all, given the reputations the Dameron family had (to some it was Resistance heroes, to others it was the First Order past), it took some courage to date the oldest daughter. 

“Because market day is a family day. It’s just twice a year. You can be away from your boyfriend for a day. Besides, we still need your help to look after the younger ones.” Poe explained patiently. 

Birdy looked to Ravi and Devon, who were gazing back at her with false innocence only two eight-year-olds could muster, and then back to her fathers. “Alright. Fine. You win.”

“It wasn’t a debate.” Finn replied, tone gentle but firm. 

Ammen silently offered his sister a pastry and then returned to his vigil at the oven. He motioned to the window without looking over. “Aunt Rey’s here.”

Poe took a deep breath and braced himself for the oncoming chaos. Rey’s four girls were sweet and good kids, but they were also a whirlwind. The fact that all four were Force-sensitive and not always good at controlling it definitely contributed to things.

Finn chuckled, clearly noticing Poe’s reaction, as he headed for the door. He was immediately enveloped in a pack of girls, all shouting ‘Uncle Finn’ with great enthusiasm.

Once hugs had been exchanged, the older three were off and running with Devon, Ravi, and Janie while Daisy, the youngest at only five, climbed her way into Finn’s arms.

“Good morning.” Rey greeted, following a little ways after the girls. She gave Finn a quick kiss on the cheek as she moved into the house.

It didn’t seem to matter that they’d seen each other just a week ago, the families always reacted with the same excitement at every visit. Poe loved it more than he would admit.

“Ammen’s been baking.” Poe nodded to the plate near him. “They’re excellent.”

“Oh.” Rey’s eyes lit up in the special way that was always related to food. “May I?”

“Of course.” Ammen replied, still staring into the oven. “Second batch will be ready in just a minute.”

Rey took a pastry and sunk down into a chair with a soft sound of delight. “This is incredible.” She stated with a mouthful of crumbs.

Poe had to laugh at her satisfied expression. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ivy and Holly, Rey’s middle two girls, practically tackle Birdy onto the couch where the teenager had been sulking. She immediately retaliated by tickling both until they were a pile of giggling, squirming limbs. In the background of the noise of the house, he could hear BB-8, D-0 and R2-D2 chattering out in the courtyard, clearly just as eager to go to the market as the humans.

Finn joined him near the counter, Daisy still perched on his hip. “What are you thinking?” He asked with a soft kiss to Poe’s temple.

“How very lucky I am. I wouldn’t trade this for the universe.”

“Me either. I love you.”

“Love you too.”

Standing there, his head leaning against Finn’s, Poe was happy. They had their family, they had each other. He felt like it was something out of one of the fairytales his mother used to tell him. They won the war and now were living their happily ever after. He wouldn’t change a thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading and all your feedback along the way! 
> 
> Come visit on [Tumblr](https://captainlilja.tumblr.com/)

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! More to come because I adore these two so much.
> 
> Find me on Tumblr: [captainlilja](https://captainlilja.tumblr.com/)


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